My name is Robyn Buzzee, and I am the florist and flower farmer behind Poppy Flower Works. I grew up in Canmore, in the picturesque Bow Valley. Being raised in such an inspiring landscape developed an early appreciation for aesthetics and ecology, an appreciation that has matured with me throughout my journey.

In my early twenties, I worked my way up to managing the floral department at the local branch of a corporately-owned grocery store. I came to this work with a keen interest in learning floristry and found myself completely in love with the medium. Through my dedication to the department I achieved the management position, which I enjoyed for three years. This was an important moment in my story, I was able to develop a rich foundation of knowledge about my craft, gain invaluable experience managing the day-to-day of a floral business, but also took care of a multitude of large accounts, most significantly creating arrangements and designs for weddings. My tenure at this grocery store floral department gave me a wealth of experience working with brides and husbands to-be on floral design that meaningfully punctuated their weddings.

My position as floral department manager also provided me with first hand-knowledge of the darker side of this industry. The flowers we sourced came from overseas, were completely poisoned by toxic farming practices meant to create a bigger yield, and preservative agents that kept the flowers looking fresh en route to us - gorgeous plants turned into agents of toxicity that infiltrate the lives of those seeking their beauty. In addition to the toxicity added through mass market farming practices, the large carbon footprint of the flower from being shipped overseas, the packaging and use of floral foam (which is incredible toxic) were two added elements of how the mainstream floral industry isn’t caring for the health of its communities, flowers, or environment at large.

During this realization I began pursuing my passion for gardening. Building garden beds in my yard and learning to tend them with organic and bio-dynamic processes was a site of active resistance against the nearly ubiquitous problematics found in the floral industry. This practice was a source of great resilience, allowing me to find meaning in the work that I did with my hands to grow food and flowers in balanced and natural ways. Gardening is a cultivation of my values.

In my mid twenties I left my job managing the Grocery Floral department and pursue an art education. I attended the studio art program at Capilano University, in North Vancouver, graduating in 2013 with a diploma of fine arts. Capilano’s campus is nestled within lush rain forest in the fecund setting of the Pacific Northwest, the natural setting was a deep source of inspiration for me as I developed my foundational knowledge of contemporary fine art.

Following my diploma I moved to Calgary to attend the Alberta College of Art and Design, where I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing in 2016. The west coast treated me well, but my home is in the mountains and prairies of Southern Alberta. Back in my stomping grounds, I have engaged with a series of professional development workshops, notably with Alberta Girl Acres and Prairie Girl Flowers on sustainable floristry and flower farming.

Now a mother to the coolest two year old around, I have much cause to reflect on my journey over the past decade, and have found great motivation to model my values through my work to my daughter. My dedicated relationship to gardening and floristry over the past decade has been a work of great love. And in reflecting this love I believe it is important that the floral industry becomes one of ecological sustainability through local, organic, compostable practices. My fine arts background has enlivened me with a deeper understanding of aesthetics and design which I bring to my work as a florist. The marriage of these two elements, beauty and ecology, is why I started Poppy Flowerworks. It is with deep love that I offer my floral works, ecologically conscious and responsibly arrangements and designs, small but meaningful change within our local community.